The Dodo Archive

Gorilla Breaks Zoo Enclosure, And For A Moment We See Ourselves

"There is more meaning and mutual understanding in exchanging a glance with a gorilla than with any other animal I know. Their sight, their hearing, their sense of smell are so similar to ours that they see the world in much the same way as we do." - Sir David Attenborough

People who have had the chance to see gorillas living free in the wild have described the experience with a sense of awe and humility. Zoos have tried to replicate that scenario by presenting our primate cousins in captivity, but behind walls the distance between us only widens.

But the most shocking moment of the footage isn't the gorilla's futile charge - it's the split second when, in the polished glass wall, we see our own reflection. And there may be no more important image for us to confront.